


By Chance

by starrylitme



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Canon - Video Game, Complicated Relationships, Cynicism, Fiction, Gen, Hope vs. Despair, Metafiction, Other, Pre-Canon, Pre-Game Personalities (New Dangan Ronpa V3)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:13:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28736292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrylitme/pseuds/starrylitme
Summary: “In the end, there’s no increase or decrease of hope as the show goes on,” he says. “It’s just a dreary cycle at this point and one we can’t escape but can’t imagine life without.”“Geez,” Shirogane pouts at him. “When you put it that way, it sounds a little despairing!”“It’s not despair,” he corrected. “More...complacency.”“That’s even worse!”“Komaeda Nagito was pretty complacent, wasn’t he?”
Relationships: Amami Rantaro & Komaeda Nagito, Amami Rantaro & Shirogane Tsumugi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	By Chance

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to do some requests for short fics. Someone asked for Komamami and made the horrible mistake of saying it didn't have to be platonic or romantic! I sure hope that wasn't a typo!
> 
> Anyway, it's been way too long since I wrote Amami. This isn't technically Amami, not yet anyway, but...

When it comes to survival, there are all kinds of stats and skills at play. Whether it be offense, defense, evasion, stealth, strategy, so on and so forth. This is why as he’s filling out the form, there’s a lot to think about.

“There are talents that act as bolsters for strength,” he muses. He taps the application paper before him. “But wouldn’t it be better if you had a talent for charisma? In that case, it’d be easier to gather up allies as well as pawns.”

Of course, there was one stat that so easily flipped things regardless of skill.

Luck.

In the second killing game, the one who defeated Ultimate Despair had been Ultimate Luck, later dubbed the appropriate Ultimate Hope. It set the stage for the rest of the franchise, and a good number of contestants salivated at the chance to be the next Ultimate Hope. That sort of wishful entitlement only grew with Danganronpa’s popularity. Even at his own school, Naegi Makoto had been a symbol to aspire towards.

While he did think Naegi Makoto was fine, he didn’t forget about the other Ultimate Luck.

Komaeda Nagito more accurately encompassed what others turned out as in their pursuits of Ultimate Hope. Desperate, simpering, frantic, helpless, hopeless—the kind of person the most and worst suited for destruction.

Someone who still couldn’t help but survive regardless of their efforts. A puppet on a string dragged from place to place, manipulated with ease even as it squirmed and struggled.

Someone like that represented others well, despite themselves.

He didn’t resent them. He didn’t have any ill feelings towards Komaeda Nagito. If anything, that brand of incessant survival was the main appeal. Among...other things.

* * *

“In the end, there’s no increase or decrease of hope as the show goes on,” he says. “It’s just a dreary cycle at this point and one we can’t escape but can’t imagine life without.”

“Geez,” Shirogane pouts at him. “When you put it that way, it sounds a little despairing!”

“It’s not despair,” he corrected. “More...complacency.”

“That’s even worse!”

“Komaeda Nagito was pretty complacent, wasn’t he?” he asks. “Despite framing his aspirations and efforts as intended to evoke hope, all he was doing was playing to the tune of the crumbling world around him. There were justifications to be made, of course. Can’t have hope without overcoming despair. Can’t know happiness without sorrow. Can’t know light without darkness. Regardless of the journey, as long as you reach your destination...”

“Aah, stop, stop!” Shirogane waved her hands frantically. “I don’t care! I really don’t!”

“Geez,” he mimicked her before. “I thought you were a Danganronpa superfan, Shirogane-san.”

“I am, I am,” she insisted. “But, you know, there’s just... That’s a way of thinking that I don’t care for.”

“Because it exposes the artifice?” he can only smile. “Honestly, I like that about Komaeda Nagito. Naegi Makoto is too...sincere for me.”

_And for the rest of the world, for that matter. It’s Komaeda who is more realistic._

“You’re way too cynical for Danganronpa!” Shirogane exclaimed with an accusatory finger. “In that case, why even join?!”

“Ahahaha. Well, it is either this or nothing. Everything else is quite boring. I guess you can blame it on the fact that I’m aimless.” Tilting his head back, rubbing his nape, he couldn’t help but smile blankly at the dreary ceiling. Even with Shirogane’s bright personality, there was no undercutting this monotony. It was no wonder anyone would fixate on Danganronpa, especially those more anxious. Like Shirogane. “I guess for me, it’s about...the experience. The _adventure_ , you know?”

Shirogane harrumphed, unimpressed.

“Then, you better not die first.”

She’s not looking at him anymore, but the tightening in her face suggests that she’s quite upset. So upset that he almost wants to reassure her, but he doesn’t even try to reach for her. It’s like he can’t even muster up the energy.

_Yeah,_ he thinks blandly, unimpressed with himself. _I **need** the experience._

* * *

In the waiting period, he does slip on the VR. He slips it on his head, lays back, flicks the switch, and opens his eyes.

It’s an eternal summer sun above, with Komaeda Nagito peering down at him.

“Hey—can you hear me? Are you alright?”

It should be meaningless. Just a video game character reciting the same lines of text. No variation, no matter how many times the game gets rebooted. Everything—including this person was just lines of code locked in a purgatory of repetition, all at the mercy of mere clicks of the button.

He clicks through, and eventually, Komaeda Nagito reaches out. Offers his hand. It’s not to him, not really. Even in this position, he’s all too aware that he’s just playing another mindless character. One that grips Komaeda Nagito’s hand uncomfortably tight and pulls himself up. One that just—like everyone else in this world—just wants to feel special and important.

It’s pitiful, really, but when Komaeda Nagito gives a sweet, reassuring, calming smile...

He feels _something_.

* * *

“Have you submitted your application?”

He doesn’t know why Shirogane would inquire this beyond boredom. He offers her a wry smile, and it just causes her face to scrunch up. Her brow furrows for good measure.

“I’m asking because I’m curious,” she said. “I need to know what I’m potentially working with! Not that I’m going to give you special treatment even with our history.”

“I don’t expect you to,” he laughed without amusement. “We never did get along. We’re not really friends.”

“Because your attitude is unpleasant,” she said; as if that were a defense. As if this strained relationship needed any kind of justification. He found himself wishing that Shirogane would just take things in stride sometimes. But, Shirogane has more to press, “Can you tell me what you put down?”

“Amami Rantarou,” was his reply. “How does that sound?”

Her face just sours more.

“I was thinking Ultimate Adventurer, maybe?” he goes on. “Just because—I do care more about the journey than the ending. I was thinking about Ultimate Luck, yes, but I have no delusions of grandeur, so...”

“I’ll say,” Shirogane muttered. “If I had it my way, you’d die first. The way Komaeda Nagito meant to. I think it’d suit you!”

He shrugged, but was there any point in denying it?

Still—what was up with Shirogane’s expression?

“You wouldn’t even be a good sacrifice,” she’s mumbling now, barely audible. “You’re just...too miserable, cynical, and untrusting.”

All he had to offer was yet another (worthless, hopeless, but calm and easy) smile.


End file.
